Difference between 道化師, ピエロ, and クラウン What’s the difference in usage between these three words? 1. 2. 3. Which of these would describe a typical American’s notion of a circus clown? type of clown I’m thinking of Does one of these words describe Japanese clowns?

and are almost interchangeable in Japan. I think was more common than at least before Joker's movie. Since Japanese do not distinguish l and r, I imagine "crown" which is an ornament for the king more often than "clown" which is an actor in a circus. Maybe people see juggling ball in a pachinko game setting.

However Halloween gets popular in Japan in this decade and a costume play is often influenced by movie, I am not so sure about how the term really used for younger generations.

is the most traditional one for a circus clown you imagine.